1B Response and Light Observations

Response to 1B:

Assignment 1B helped me learn that every sound can be manipulated to fit a certain tone or mood. For instance, I took a whistling sound that was originally bright and cheery and made it creepy and hollow-sounding. By slowing it down and adding reverb, I changed the sound completely to give it a new vibe. I also learned the importance of experimentation and letting “accidents” happen to get an unexpected yet interesting result. Before I started on this project, I had ideas about which sounds I wanted to use based on my group’s theme/concept, but after working on the project for a while, I opened up to layering and manipulating random sounds in different ways to create a mood I did not anticipate in the beginning.

Light Observation #1: Outside my apartment

The first light observation I made was outside of my apartment in the evening. First, I noticed the sources of light: most of the light in this scene is natural, although there is also some artificial light coming from windows and street lamps. The light coming from the windows is warm yellow color, while the light from the street lamps is a bright white. The main light source, the sun, provides soft backlighting for the buildings. Besides the artificial light that I can see inside buildings or reflecting off the windows, I can only see the silhouettes of the buildings and other objects including bikes, benches, and trees. The shadows are difficult to see because the overall quality of light is low, but the shadows I can see are very soft.

Light Observation #2: Courtyard

The second light observation I made was during the day. The quality of light is much higher than it was outside my apartment in the evening. Although the light source is natural here as well, it has a different effect because it is more intense and direct. The sun is at a slight angle overhead this time, so the shadows on the ground from the surrounding buildings, tables, ledges, and trees are very dark and hard. I can see every object very clearly; even small details such as the bricks on the buildings and flowers on the bushes are distinct and sharp.